Saying No
by FabledFigment
Summary: Girl's Night Out. Leaving the party. Matchmaking. Eventual Rayne.
1. Girl's Night Out

"No. Honestly, I'm tired of it. " Inara gestured with the hand containing her glass. "My face is up here, not down here."

"Surely men from the Core do that whole chest talking thing." Zoë smiled softly, tipping the wine bottle over as many glasses as she could reach with it. "I thought that was fairly universal."

Inara huffed. "Well, yes, but they're a bit more polite about it." She sent an extra glare in the general direction of the border moon local who'd prompted the change of conversation.

River giggled slightly at the spike of remorse the man emitted. Inara had dressed down for their girl's outing, but… poor man.

River sipped her wine and darted a quick glance at the bar where Jayne was sitting. Their little scene had made him prepared to come to their rescue, but he was relaxed again, watching them.

If this dinky town had more than one bar they wouldn't have let him come to the same one as them, but there wasn't much selection here.

"Women check out men too." Kaylee laughed.

"I…" Inara's cheeks reddened. "Choosing clients isn't the same. I don't base… I mean… That's not like…" She made an indelicate face at the quiet giggles of the rest of the table.

"No, I'm talking about walking down the street and seeing a nice ass or checking out a…" Kaylee made a vague gesture. "Package. You've done that."

"I have." River piped up. "Mal's derriere is hard to miss in the pants he wears, and I've done the…" She mimicked Kaylee's gesture. "Package thing on random guys in the streets."

River looked at the surprised faces of her crewmates. "What? I'm nineteen. I'm allowed to look."

Zoë topped off her glass. "Honey, you're allowed to touch if you want to."

Zoë felt it was her job to get them all as sloshed as possible on their increasingly frequent girls nights.

"But not Mal." Inara said quickly, then winced.

They all laughed, even Inara.

"That is understood." River assured her friend. "Wouldn't want him anyway."

Inara's mouth dropped open, but she stopped herself from demanding to know what was wrong with her lover.

"You know, I always wondered." Kaylee slurred. "Now I'm not saying I don't think men's bottoms are shiny, just why would they be?"

"Thrusting power." River blushed as soon as the words crossed her lips.

The table turned to her as one.

"Scientifically proven." River mumbled. "They did a study."

"You've heard of it and I haven't?" Inara asked.

"Wasn't…" River blushed more fiercely and fell silent. She hid behind her glass.

"River, what about Jayne?" Kaylee prompted.

"His pants aren't as tight." River said wryly. That drew another round of giggles.

"Hmm, yes, but what about Jayne in a sleeveless shirt?" Kaylee pressed. "I've even seen him a time or two with no shirt at all."

Inara's eyes were wide as they darted towards the mercenary. "Maybe in a purely aesthetic sense."

River felt her cheeks heat. "I… He… No. I do not think of Jayne in those terms, not Mal either."

Zoë was smiling wistfully. "I always loved it when Wash wore those vests with the open backs. They always made me want to reach out and goose his ass."

"Yeah." Kaylee said softly. "Wash sure was I shuai /I "

"You're telling me all of you really think women check out men the way they check out us?" Inara finished her wine and held her glass towards Zoë.

"Don't all look at once." River said. "Young man, white shirt at the pool table."

Zoë didn't look. "Tall blonde at the table by the door, blue shirt." She drawled.

Kaylee laughed. "Three outa the four at the bar." She laughed. "Including Jayne."

Inara's mouth was gaping slightly open. "I… alright. Point made. The bartender."

The whole table laughed together.

* * *

Jayne sat at the bar, watching his lady crewmates laugh together thru the big mirror.

This rinky-dink little tavern's only working girl was otherwise occupied.

He was taking the time to think on his lady crewmates. Couldn't hurt much now and it would make his upstairs experience more intense. That would be good.

Once that was over, he wouldn't be much danger to his own girls for a little bit. Not that he would ever let himself bother them that way. But it would be easier to put aside thoughts of them. After. Like he usually did.

Except when he was alone in his bunk. He thought about them then.

But, well, he hadn't thought about Zoë like that since her man died. Seemed disrespectful of the dead. Of course, he hadn't had any scruples about thinking on another man's wife while he was alive. Thinking wasn't touching.

It used to be Inara almost every time. That changed quite a long time ago. A couple of years, maybe… No. He knew exactly how and when his focus had changed. Same time he…

It had been even longer since he'd gotten worked up over Kaylee. As much as he teased her, Kaylee'd gotten to be more like a sister to him a long time ago. So it wasn't her he was specifically thinking on now either.

He might try to tell himself he was thinking about them all, but his most honest self knew it had been years now since he'd yearned for anyone but her.

The mostly sane crazy girl. The one most likely to gut him for just thinking.

He usually tamped down tight on this stuff, but what was the harm now? He'd already contracted for time and…

He let his justifications fall aside and concentrated on her instead.

Images of her fighting were first. He had rather a good store of those now. They fought side by side these days.

It always turned him on, but he could use that energy in his fists. Hopefully without her really knowing. Without anyone really knowing.

He'd always gotten the impression she'd beat him bloody if he let on he wanted her. So he tried not to let on.

He wasn't worthy of her anyway. No one was or he would be. Made sense to him.

He always considered himself as good as the next man, but he would tear the head off any 'next man' who came close to her.

He let those thoughts slide away and played pretend. He was touching her, she wanted him to. No, even better, she touched him first…

* * *

"Jayne is gazing at me with intensely amorous thoughts." River said suddenly. "I feel… very disconcerted."

"What? Doesn't he usually?" Zoë asked, wide eyed.

"I hadn't ever thought about it, but no, he doesn't." River glanced over her shoulder at the man in question.

Jayne quickly averted his eyes, but River could feel that his gaze found her again as soon as she turned back to her friends.

"Crude jests, yes, constantly." Her brow creased. "Prolonged fantasies where I can practically feel his hands on my body, no, not very often at all."

River noticed that one of her hands was touching the side of her neck in a little pattern. She quickly dropped it to her lap.

"It's because the whore is busy." Kaylee said, snickering.

"I thought Jayne would be just one long sex thought." Inara said, glancing at the man.

River shook her head. "Perhaps when he's down in his bunk, but he started editing his thoughts very carefully as soon as you figured out I was a Reader."

"That long ago?" Zoë leaned back in her chair. "I find that hard to believe, actually."

"Oh, not that he doesn't um… check us out, just that he's careful what he thinks." River shook her head.

"Ah, yes, that sounds more like him." Zoë said. "Jayne came on to me fairly strongly when we first met. Then I threatened to break his fingers one by one. He backed off right quick." She looked around the table. "He even apologized as soon as he figured out Wash and I were married."

"Jayne?" River asked. "Jayne apologized?"

"Seems odd, doesn't it?" Zoë nodded.

"Not to me." Kaylee spoke up. "Jayne has a Ma and three sisters back home."

"Three?" Inara asked.

"Uh huh." Kaylee nodded. "A brother too, younger. He doesn't talk about them much, except when he gets a letter. Then he sometimes opens up a little."

River shuddered, the fantasy was getting distinctly hotter the longer he stared at her.

Kaylee cleared her throat. "We actually came pretty close to sexing when he first came on board." She laughed. "But we got real tired of Mal warning us off each other, so we kinda just didn't bother."

"Really?" Inara looked rather repulsed.

"After a few days it felt like the window had passed… well, after that we mostly just flirted and teased, especially when Mal was around to be annoyed."

"It's always fun to goad Mal." Zoë agreed in that sage way a drunk person can sometimes manage.

River glanced at the big man at the bar, then back at her friend. "But you would…?"

"What? Have sex with Jayne?" Kaylee laughed and gulped at her drink. "Yep, them big, gentle hands all over me…" She shivered. "Or at least if I didn't have Simon."

"I wouldn't." Inara said firmly. "Nice as the body may be, his smell is too strong for me."

"Jayne doesn't smell bad." River looked around at the trio of surprised faces. "What? He doesn't. He smells like… Like a man I guess. Rich, intense like…" Her voice trailed off when she realized none of her friends agreed with her.

"He smells like sweat." Kaylee said. "At least most of the time."

"And that gun oil he uses." Inara wrinkled her nose.

"The sweat smell ain't what it used to be." Zoë paused thinking. "At least he showers regularly now. That was quite a battle." Her lips twitched upward, remembering.

"You're right." Kaylee agreed thoughtfully. "He doesn't smell as bad as I remember."

"First impressions linger." Inara said with a disdainful curl to her lip.

"Sandalwood." River said suddenly. "Back home, my best friend's older brother used sandalwood soap. I could never stop myself from smelling the bar when I was in their bathroom. Jayne's smell reminds me of sandalwood soap."

Her friends looked at her a little worriedly.

"River." Inara began slowly. "Are you attracted to Jayne?"

River's mouth fell open. "I… no… or…" She turned her head towards him again, blushing. "I never…" She looked back at Inara. "Maybe, but no."


	2. Encounters

Jayne's fantasy River was sprawled out on the bed in his bunk. He was between her open thighs, worshiping.

River smelled real good. She'd taste good too.

Jayne didn't kiss a whore. Not on either set of lips. There was more to it than avoiding drugged lips. Even more to it than not wanting to taste the girl's last man. Although with the lovely cavorting upstairs, that concern would be on his mind.

He didn't like to be so tightly scheduled in that he knew the last guy's face.

It made him try harder to pleasure the girl. As if to prove to her he was better than anyone else she'd ever sexed.

Didn't hurt the cause none that the girl he was waiting for was skinny as a rail and he'd just built up a particularly fine fantasy about Ri… his crewmates.

Jayne heard the whore coming down the stairs before he saw her. That distinctive click of fancy shoes on wooden stairs.

Jayne downed the rest of his beer and ran his thumb sneakily down his very ready John Thomas. He turned expectantly to the doorframe.

His lips curled into a scowl when the working girl came into view. She was laughing and brushing her last client off her neck.

"Come back tomorrow." She giggled, disentangling herself. "It's a busy night. Ain't got time for a double, Clem. Got fellows waiting."

The man frowned and sighed and jammed his hat down on his head.

"G'night, Rhia."

"Night, Clem." She rearranged her collar and turned towards where she'd left Jayne at the bar.

She sighed at his scowl and swayed towards him, displaying herself.

"Hey there, sugar. You ready for our good time?"

Jayne thought he might sense a certain wariness in her manner. For his frown, probably, and his size. Some smaller girls were afraid he wouldn't be gentle. He always tried to be.

"Sure, darlin." Jayne turned towards her on his stool and tugged her into the angle of his thighs.

He wrapped his hands around her and rubbed her against the evidence of how 'ready' he was to get some trim.

Jayne smiled his best sex grin at her. She relaxed slightly. He lifted her by the butt onto her toes, onto Johnny boy.

"Been ready." She felt good and it weren't hard to keep up the River-fantasy. The two girls really were about the same size and shape.

Jayne's eyes darted once again to his crewmates' table. River was looking at him. Jayne swallowed hard. He deliberately turned his attention back to the girl pressed up against him.

Ain't much chance of ever getting the real thing, he reminded himself. Make do with what you got and forget you even think she's pretty.

Jayne let his nostrils flare to make sure the whore's smell wasn't going to kill things for him. Nope, she smelled like soap more than sex. Smart girl.

He hiked her up farther into his lap, curling his fingers under her thighs.

"Is upstairs ready?" He growled, enjoying the soft-and-hard at once feel of her legs, not quite looking directly at her.

"Sure is, sugar, all freshened up and ready for us." She looked up at him, her eyes a little wider than they might oughta be, a little darker.

He nuzzled his face into her cleavage, he was happy to still find just soap and woman smells. This was gonna work out fine.

"Alright, then. Lets go."

Jayne glanced once more over at the unattainable River, then followed the real an' willing whore up the steps.

This girl wasn't gonna regret making time for him.

* * *

When the whore came down the stairs and approached Jayne, things got even worse for River. Now, through what the whore was feeling, she could actually feel her role in his fantasy.

She could feel herself convincingly in Jayne's arms. She could sense what it felt like to be pressed intimately against the bulge in his trousers. How it felt to wriggle herself against it.

The big, gentle hands Kaylee had mentioned were on her still, but now she knew how they actually felt on the skin of a woman. The rush of pleasure as he caressed the whore's nipples, the curve of her waist, her bottom…

His attention was still focused across the room on River, even though there was another girl in his arms.

While he laughed and stroked the whore, his mind clung to the fantasy that he was holding River. He followed the girl up the steps, turning a final regretful glance on River as he left her behind.

River blinked, grateful the conversation didn't seem to need her right now.

She tried to push his fantasy away. It ought to be easier now that Jayne had put walls between them. That usually helped.

It actually got more intense instead. His painted lady, contrary to her own expectations, was well on her way to her first orgasm in a very busy night.

She needed to leave. Now. Before…

River gasped and stood. "I must go home." She said, not meeting anyone's eyes.

She made it all the way outside and around the corner before she gave in to the sensations coming from the little upstairs room.

At some point - when? Before the whore came downstairs? - Her revulsion at feeling his mental touch had been replaced by intense arousal.

Her mind still rebelled at the thought of being attracted to Jayne. He was so… Jayne.

But her body didn't find the attraction unusual or unwelcome. River let the whore's pleasure wash over her.

The intimate stroking of those long blunt fingers. The very real sensation of his mouth on her neck and then her breasts.

River let herself slide down the wall. At this point she didn't think her legs could successfully propel her out of the range of his emotions. Perhaps the ladies room would have been a better choice than the alley.

She shuddered.

Now that she was alone it was better to wait it out, right?

She curled her knees up near her face and covered her eyes with her hands, letting herself feel.

_Right_. A little voice from the depths of her psyche piped up sarcastically. _Because you can't get away. Because you aren't enjoying this. You have no interest in him whatsoever and you aren't even curious._

River would have answered herself scathingly, but at that very moment Jayne entered his whore. River gasped as the new sensations shocked her.

Not that she'd never 'overheard' the emotions and sensations of a couple having sex. She had just never participated remotely in quite this way. Jayne's fantasy that he was actually with her had not been interrupted at all.

Disconcerted was entirely the wrong word at this point.

"Miss?" The voice was kindly and low.

River had rarely been more embarrassed in her life. She pressed the heels of her hands harder into her eyes, willing the person to just leave her alone.

"Miss, are you alright?" Definitely a masculine voice.

River blushed behind her hands. How do you explain 'about to orgasm in an alley' to a concerned stranger?

"Are you alright?" The voice repeated.

"Yes." River half moaned. She forced herself to focus enough to look up at the man. The throbbing and pulsing and driving in and out continued, unaffected by her split focus.

Sheriff. Shit.

"I…"

The whore upstairs had a very sensitive spot directly behind her left knee. Jayne's hand found it right then and River lost the rest of her sentence.

"Are you ill, have you been assaulted in some way?" The Sheriff crouched down beside her.

River laughed, slightly hysterically.

"No." She took a deep breath and tried for a whole sentence. "I am uninjured and only slightly inebriated. I will go home soon." Sigh. Not bad, really. Considering.

She would go as soon as they finished upstairs. How long did Jayne… River bit her lip against the groan that was about to escape.

"Maybe I could help you home. The streets at night aren't a good place for a nice young girl."

River shuddered. If someone tried to assault her right now she might be assaulting back in a completely unexpected way.

The sheriff was holding out his hand to her. With assistance perhaps she could escape the projection radius. She did want to didn't she?

River took the offered hand and stood.

As a random sexual partner this man might do, mightn't he? Would he consent or would he stop her? Would he think she was very drunk? She wasn't.

He looked like he'd be gentle. Not a bad candidate for meaningless sex, even as a first time.

The man was looking down at her uncertainly. He was shorter than Jayne, considerably less muscle definition. Handsome, though.

River was afraid she might be swaying in rhythm with Jayne upstairs.

"I crew a ship. We're at the designated landing field." She winced inwardly at the breathy sound of her voice.

The man nodded and turned in that direction.

At least he wasn't arresting her for being drunk and disorderly.

At least she hadn't been touching herself. Talk about mortification.

River latched onto the sheriff's arm and used the physical connection to amplify his brainwaves. Jayne and his painted lady receded to a dull throb. She sighed, either in relief or regret. She wasn't going to investigate that too closely.

The sheriff was concerned about her. His name was Bob. He thought she was pretty. He was very aware of the way she was supporting herself on his arm. It made him feel good, manly, to be helping her home.

The farther they got from the bar, the easier she breathed and the steadier she walked.

River glanced sideways up at Sheriff Bob.

He had a nice face, a kissable mouth. He seemed like a sweet man. He'd been honestly concerned about her.

She was still very aroused. Could she seduce a stranger to scratch this need?

He wasn't young, fortyish, he could be a good lover.

River let her breast rub into his arm as she stumbled slightly, deliberately, on the cobbled street.

Yes, he noticed that. Guiltily.

River sighed.

He was married. Four children, the oldest was twelve.

Seduction was a distinctly bad idea.

She would just have to ease herself with the masturbation aids she'd purchased the last time they had a girl's night.

During her birthday adventure Inara had introduced them all to a discrete little boutique on Persephone.

"There we are, the Firefly." River gestured towards i Serenity /i , sitting majestically between two smaller vessels. She was aware that she now sounded completely sober and was walking very steadily.

"Are you feeling better?" The lawman asked.

"Yes, thank you. I just… have man troubles." She smiled tremulously. Misleading, yet true.

The sheriff patted the hand still clutching his arm.

"Anything you want to talk about?" He asked kindly.

"Not really." She turned her head away so he wouldn't see her wry smile. "I appreciate you walking me home." She let herself into the ship. "I'll be fine now that I'm here."

River locked the man outside and headed straight for her bunk. She might not want Jayne for herself, but he sure had gotten her worked up. As ashamed as she was to admit it, tonight she was going to be pleasuring herself to his image instead of her usual faceless fantasy lover.

* * *

Kaylee, Zoë and Inara watched River stumble out of the pub.

"Will she be alright?" Kaylee asked.

"River can take care of herself." Zoë said. "What do you think that was about?"

"Jayne went upstairs." Inara said. The other two turned to look.

"She seemed awfully tuned in to him and the way he was watching her." Zoë said slowly. "Do you think…"

"What?" Inara laughed. "Jayne and River?" Her laughter faded. "They would be good for each other, wouldn't they?"

"Yeah, they would." Kaylee's eyes were definitely starting to gleam. "Her 'no' wasn't very convincing, was it?"

"But it was a no." Inara protested.

"Maybe, but no" Zoë quoted. "Not a definite no at all." She thought back to her own courtship with Wash, how she'd said no until after she'd meant yes.

"What if…" Kaylee began.

"No." Zoë cut her off. "We shouldn't do anything. If they want each other they'll find each other."

"But Jayne's got his head so far up his…"

"Kaylee." Inara cut her off. "Zoë's right. We really shouldn't push. But there are a few things we could do. Reorganize the chore list for instance."

"Nothing wrong with letting them be together so they can find each other." Zoë agreed slowly.

"I might have another idea too." Inara said. "I'll have to work on it."

"I'll work on Jayne." Kaylee offered enthusiastically. "Not openly, just enough to get him thinking about her more."

"River will catch on." Zoë warned. "She might not be too happy." The others shrugged the warning off.

The more they thought about it, the more all three women liked that match. The drunker they got, the more certain they were in their new purpose.


	3. Matchmaking

"She's real pretty, ain't she."

"She's good." Jayne turned, startled away from watching River dance down in the hold.

Kaylee had joined him on the catwalk.

River knew they were watching, of course. She always knew he was there.

"Reminds me of my sisters." Jayne grimaced at the misleading statement. His feelings for the young Reader weren't even close to brotherly. "They all danced."

"Fancy ballet like River?" Kaylee looked at him curiously. That was odd out on the rim.

"Yeah. There was a school the next town over. Woman who ran it used to dance in the Londinum Ballet. Ma wanted us to so we - they did."

"You danced?" Kaylee's eyes were wide and interested.

Jayne rolled his eyes and turned back to watching River.

"Yeah." He said finally. "Started when I was four and took lessons until I was thirteen." He glanced down at Kaylee again. "I got teased some, but they were just jealous. There I was surrounded by ten or twelve pretty, graceful girls. And I was friends with them all. Even after I stopped taking lessons, they were still my friends."

"You should dance with her." Kaylee suggested.

"No." He turned away. "I don't remember anything. It was too long ago."

"But…"

"No, Kaylee. I'm sorry it came up at all." He frowned, sighed. "That was too long ago."

"Do you ever regret that you and I didn't get to more than flirting?" Kaylee asked, looking at her thumb, cleaning some grease from under the nail.

The question startled him. "Sometimes." He admitted. "You're happy with Simon."

Neither of them knew if it was a question or a statement.

"Oh, yes." Her whole face lit up brighter than normal.

"Well, good." His eyes drifted back to River. "What about you? Do you regret not taking up with me?"

"Sometimes. Mostly when you're working out." Kaylee laughed. "Then I get close enough to smell you."

"Hey!" Jayne made a face at her, more offended than he wanted to be.

"What about River?" Kaylee had a girly little smug smile on her face. "Would you regret it if she moved on and found a fellow and you never once asked her to dance?"

Those words triggered thoughts of a different kind of dancing he and River might get into. He stomped on the wayward thoughts. Not ones he should dwell on when there were no warm, willing bodies to be found.

"Ain't a good idea, Kaylee." He said after a moment.

"Why? Don't you like her? Don't you think she's pretty?" Looked like she wasn't gonna be giving this up soon.

Jayne scowled down at Kaylee.

"Did River send you to find out if I might like her?" He asked in a low, angry voice. "Like a teenager in a schoolyard?"

"Well, no." The usually bubbly engineer looked a little frightened.

"Has she told you she wants me to court her?" He didn't let the hopeful cross his face.

"Not exactly."

"Then stop it. Don't set me to thinking on her." Jayne stared unseeing into the hold. "I ain't the kind of fellow you should be pushing towards her. Away is more like it."

"Do you have feelings for her?"

Jayne paused, looking down at his friend.

"Doesn't matter if I do or not." He said finally.

Kaylee peered closer. "You do. I've seen you look at her sometimes."

Jayne turned his face away and closed his eyes. "Doesn't matter. Stop pushing, Kaylee."

Kaylee watched Jayne clomp off in the direction of his bunk. She bit her lip. She knew Jayne as well as anyone did.

She'd bet a ripe strawberry that he was already at least half in love with River. She could also tell he wouldn't be acting on his feelings until he got a 'go ahead' sign from River.

That was the truth of why he hadn't pursued Kaylee herself when they met. Mal had badgered her into not giving him a clear sign.

Interesting.

* * *

The ship stopped for refueling at one of the big sky malls and everyone went out to shop. Jayne was back first, relaxing with some new quality 'reading' material in the lounge.

"Jayne?" Inara was smiling at him in her 'womanly wiles' way from the doorway.

"Yeah? What's up?" That tone usually meant she wanted him to change a light bulb or something.

"I have something for you, a present." She held up a big ribbon wrapped box.

"What is it?" Jayne felt justified in being wary. 'Nara had never given him anything before.

"The rest of us celebrate our birthdays. You've been with the ship a long time, Jayne. I owe you at least one birthday present, don't I? More like three or four."

Jayne continued to stare at the box like it might be a live grenade.

"Don't worry, I'm not expecting anything in return." Inara cajoled. Then she got exasperated. "Take it, it's getting heavy. It's just a gift."

"But…" Jayne let the box be thrust into his hands. He thought back, it was true. She always had something in store when she knew a birthday was coming up. Alright, so it might be as harmless as she said. "What is it?"

"Open it and see." Inara said encouragingly. "It wasn't easy to come up with something. Weapons seemed obvious, but you choose those yourself. Special food would be gone too quickly. Pornography would be inappropriate."

She was babbling. Inara was babbling over wanting him to like her present. Huh.

Jayne hefted the box. It was heavier than he expected. He opened the wrappings and a rich scent filled the air. Jayne had never smelled anything quite like it. Woods and fields and…

"Soap?" He stared at the writing on the box. "You got me a crate of soap? Is this supposed to be some sort of joke? If you want me to shower more than twice a day just say so. I still think once oughta be enough." That argument was years old now. Hadn't come up in a long time.

"No. That isn't… I mean…" Inara sighed. "It wasn't meant to be insulting, Jayne. It isn't a joke. Like I said, it was hard to come up with something you might like but didn't already have."

"I have soap." Jayne protested. "I use it too. Twice a day and behind the ears, just like…"

Inara interrupted him. "Yes, you have soap, but it smells like lye. Smell this, don't you like the smell?"

Jayne lifted the box. "Yeah." He said finally. "It's a good smell. A man could smell like that."

"Exactly." Inara agreed. "It should last ages too. I got a good price for buying the whole box."

Somehow the thought of her getting it at a discount calmed him.

"Well, thank you, I guess." He didn't know what else to say.

Inara smiled at him and then swept away.

Jayne looked down at the soapbox again. 'Natural Sandalwood Soap, Handcrafted On Osiris.'

* * *

River noticed the difference in Jayne's smell right away. She was shocked. Possibly even angry.

Then she took a deep, calming breath. Jayne couldn't have done it on purpose.

He hadn't heard their conversation at the tavern. There must be some logical explanation for the coincidence.

River breathed in again, letting her eyes flutter shut. Wow. She thought he smelled good before, but… wow.

She felt a familiar sensation in her torso. Tightness in her chest, a twisting feeling in her stomach, a tingling feeling just lower.

She opened her eyes to find Inara watching her.

The companion's expression was innocent enough, but she was… Watching for a reaction to…The new soap she'd given to Jayne.

River's eyes narrowed.

"Inara?" River hoped her tone adequately conveyed her annoyance. It must have, because Inara looked guilty.

Jayne looked up too with a startled, wary expression.

River smiled tightly. "I need to speak with you, Inara."

"River?" The innocence had left her face, replaced by something resembling fear. Good.

"Now."

Inara stood. "In the shuttle then?"

River nodded, following the woman she'd counted as a friend just moments before.

River cycled the shuttle airlock closed and turned to Inara.

"That was your doing." River said. "Don't deny it, I just Read it off you. What the hell were you thinking?"

"River…"

"And don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about." River warned. "Couldn't you have chosen some other scent? Lemon or Vanilla or… did it have to be the one smell I'd just told you I love?"

Inara was silent, but her mouth worked like she was trying to come up with something to say.

"You've got to be kidding." River's mouth dropped open. "You're matchmaking! I don't believe this."

"Only a little." Inara confirmed.

"But matching me with Jayne? I don't even like Jayne." River took a calming breath, she was starting to sound hysterical. "Inara, what ever gave you such an insane idea?"

"You did, actually." Inara said. "You're always watching him out of the corner of your eye."

"Possibly because I don't trust him?" River suggested angrily.

"At first, maybe." Inara agreed. "But not for a long time now."

"No." River said firmly. "I am not interested. No, no, no."

"I'm sorry, River. I won't do anything else. I promise."

River sighed and shook her head. Inara was still her friend. Strangely enough, the Companion thought she had River's best interests at heart.

"Fine. And I will get used to a Jayne who smells of sandalwood and cigar smoke." River swallowed. It wasn't exactly going to be easy. "Please… never do anything like this again."


	4. No Until Yes

"You've noticed, haven't you?" River asked.

"Huh?" Jayne looked up from where he was scrubbing the lower cabinets.

They were charged with cleaning the kitchen together. All the way down to pulling out all the food, cleaning and reorganizing all the compartments. Lately all their chores seemed to throw them together.

"Noticed what?" Her ankles? Since the only thing he'd been noticing was the slim ankles and shapely feet beside him, her meaning escaped him.

"Noticed how we're suddenly scheduled for all our chores together, for one thing." River looked down at her feet. She'd caught some of that last thought. She went back to scrubbing the countertop.

"Hum, yeah, I guess. But 'Nara and Mal want to do everything together and Simon and Kaylee too. Makes sense don't it?" Jayne tore his eyes off his crewmate and forced himself to watch what he was doing instead. The way her whole body moved rhythmically while she worked was entirely too sexifying. Her feet were safer.

"That was true months ago too." She protested. "A year ago. But it's only been just over a week that every chore we've done is a two person job paired with each other."

Jayne thought back. She was right. It was just since their last planetfall.

The posted schedule had thrown them together so much that between working together and Kaylee's not so subtle prodding he was having trouble editing his thoughts.

He didn't want her to overhear thoughts she wasn't supposed to. They were friends, at least he hoped they were. He didn't want them to stop being friends.

"You're right." Jayne agreed. "Do you know why?"

"I have a pretty good idea." River said, starting to look as mad as she sounded. "Who wrote up the assignments this week?"

"Uh, Zoë I think. I like when she does it, she doesn't automatically put me on septic duty like Mal does." Jayne stopped cleaning. River already had. She was leaning against the counter.

River blew out a noisy breath. "That means Zoë is in on it, then. Kaylee must be too. I've known for sure about Inara since she gave you that new soap."

Jayne sniffed at himself. He could still faintly smell the sandalwood soap on himself. He liked the scent more every day.

"What are you getting at?" Jayne frowned slightly.

River might not rightly be crazy anymore, but she didn't always make sense.

"They're matchmaking." River frowned. "Lets sit down." She threw her scrub brush down.

"Matchmaking?" Jayne thought immediately of the times in the past week that Kaylee had wanted to talk about River. Right. Matchmaking. Clearly true.

"You don't want to finish this?" Jayne gestured towards the half sparkling kitchen.

"Later." River growled. She crossed to the food cooler and pulled out two bottles of beer from the back. She popped the lids off and set one on the counter above Jayne.

"Come on." She led the way to the seating area.

Jayne stood, flexing his knees and took a swig from the bottle. "I thought these were Mal's."

River held her bottle up and looked at the label. "No. I got them on Persephone a few months ago." She grinned. "We had a girl's party for my birthday. I'm legal now, for drinking I mean. I bought vodka too."

Jayne felt his eyebrows raise. "Vodka?"

"Interesting stuff." River sipped at her beer and put her feet up on the little round table. "Can't say I'm really fond of either taste." She admitted.

Jayne sat across from her. "You're sure they're matchmaking? Throwing us together on purpose?"

"Yes, I'm sure." River chewed on her lip. "I thought it was just Inara, but…"

"What's Inara done?" Jayne couldn't think of anything, but he remembered that time River got so mad a few days ago.

River breathed in sharply. "The sandalwood soap. I… Mentioned…" Her cheeks reddened. "I said I thought…" She sighed and fell silent.

"You like sandalwood." Jayne guessed.

River nodded. "Something like that." She agreed, hiding behind her bottle.

Jayne sat back, putting his boots on the table across from her bare feet.

"You ain't never seemed half interested in me… that way." He probed gently.

River shook her head. "I'm not." She said firmly.

Jayne wasn't prepared for the sharpness of his own disappointment. He'd known. He'd always known, but hearing her say it crushed a fragile secret little hope that he didn't want to admit even to himself.

He looked up to see the young Reader eyeing him curiously.

"I'm not." She repeated slowly. "But you are."

Jayne grimaced. "Not if you ain't." He took another swig from his bottle.

"You're my friend, Jayne." River's voice was small but firm. "I don't want us to be uncomfortable with each other."

"Neither do I." Jayne nodded. "I'm glad you think I'm a friend. Means a lot."

River smiled and it caught him in the gut. He looked away before it could catch him lower.

"You're real pretty." Jayne grimaced again. "Man'd have to be dead not to notice. Don't want to uh… have you think I'd try to touch when you didn't want me to. I ain't like that. Any gal I'm with wants to be with me." That had always been a point of pride for him.

River took a deep breath and smiled softly. "Mal notices too, but he's farther from trying to touch."

Jayne felt his gut twist. Mal had Inara. He shouldn't be looking…

"Man'd have to be dead not to notice." River copied his accent.

Jayne laughed, relaxing. River grinned back.

"You don't mind too much?" He asked when his chuckles stopped.

"You've always been… polite about noticing. Except…" She paused. "Except last week."

"Last week in that bar?" Jayne winced. "Didn't realize you…"

"It was stronger than usual because you were looking at me, thinking about me." River picked at the label of her bottle.

"I'm sorry." Jayne was embarrassed. "I didn't realize…"

"Most people wouldn't." She made a face. "Most people can't read minds."

Jayne nodded. "So it don't normally come up."

River shrugged.

"But you ain't interested?" He wanted to hear the answer again so he could maybe stop hoping.

River shook her head. "No." She smiled shyly, hiding behind her lashes. "Even if you do smell exceptionally good in sandalwood."

Jayne nodded. "Good. Then we can just work together without wondering." He grinned. It was sort of a relief. Almost. "Just, um, let me know if you change your mind."

River made a face at him, which made them both laugh.

* * *

Over the next few weeks their changed friendship grew.

River made faces at him whenever his thoughts intruded amorously into her mind.

She also took to saying "No" aloud at random intervals.

It hurt a little every time, but Jayne was getting used to that. It even made him laugh, well, most times.

_Serenity_'s other ladies continued to push them together at every opportunity. They seemed a little confused at the lack of romance between the two, but they were pleased by the improved friendship.

For his part, Jayne took advantage of the lighter chore load that came with being River's partner.

He got better at watching her admiringly without letting on and accepted that she would most likely always say no. Accepting it didn't make the little painful feeling any less when her no crushed his fragile hope again and again.

Naturally the crew noticed.

"No what, River?" Mal asked one day.

River's eyes darted towards Jayne. Their glances collided and they snorted with laughter.

Mal turned to Inara, who shrugged.

Mal's confusion prolonged their mirth.

"Are you laughing at me?" Mal asked.

The two of them had settled down a little, but the question started them up again.

They never did explain themselves.

* * *

Jayne and River started spending their free time in each other's company too. Jayne would clean or fiddle with his weapons, River would read or draw or plenty of other things.

They got to be comfortable together. They found they could talk easily to each other about most things.

And River kept saying no. Until one day, almost a year later…

"Jayne?" River marked her book with her fingers and looked at him from the far end of the dinning table.

"Yeah?" He barely glanced up from the bitty gun part he was filing down to fit into one of his girls.

"I…" She looked away. "Would you please repeat the question?"

"What?" They'd been quiet for hours, he had no idea what she meant. "Which question?" Jayne put his project down, certain this was important and would require his full attention.

River glanced at the page she was marking and put her book down.

"The one I always answer 'no' to." She avoided his eyes, looking at her own hands instead. "Would you please repeat the question so that I may determine if I am answering appropriately?"

Jayne could hardly breathe. "I think… That is…" He swallowed hard. "I…" He forced a full breath of air into his lungs. "River, would you be interested in courting me?"

"I…" She licked her lips. "Yes."

They stared at each other silently for a long time.

"You serious?" Jayne asked in a low voice. "Ain't half funny as a joke."

River nodded slowly. "Yes." She repeated. "I'm serious."

They went back to silently staring.

"Why?" Jayne asked after a long time.

"I don't know." River said quietly.

"We'll go as slow as you want, until you figure it out." He offered.

"Or as fast?" River asked.

"We're more likely to hurt each other if we go fast." Jayne warned. "I… could already be hurt by you pretty quick like."

River nodded. "I… me too." She smiled shyly.

Jayne twisted up his face. "Well, lets start by trying to avoid that."

River rose and walked around the table. She stood next to him a moment, looking down at him. Excitement and anxiety rolled off both of them in equal proportions.

Then she took his face in both hands and kissed him.


End file.
